Coin dispenser for vehicles



Dec. 9, 1958 o. J. HEWITT ET AL 2,

COIN DISPENSER FOR VEHICLES Filed June 8, 1955 \1 Jl J INVENTOR. O..J. HEWITT BY JAMES V SHERIDAN United States PatentOfifice COIN DISPENSER FOR VEHICLES Oren Justan Hewitt and James V. Sheridan,

Sweet Home, Oreg.

Application June 8, 1955, Serial No. 513,974

3 Claims. (Cl. 133-1) This invention relates generally to coin dispensers, which are adapted to store coins of varying denomination and conveniently release them when needed, the novel and improved device being constructed for particular use in a vehicle, and being operatively connected with the engine thereof to utilize the inlet vacuum for releasing the coins.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide a coin dispenser, for a vehicle, which is connected to the inlet manifold of the vehicle engine in such a manner as to utilize the vacuum therein to operatively effect discharge or release of a coin from the dispenser only while the engine is running, and prevent release of a coin or unauthorized removal of coins from the dispenser when the engine is stopped.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a vacuum coin dispenser, for a vehicle, which will permit a driver to have at his disposal coins for toll bridges and tunnels, parking meters or the like, or change for passengers on public transportation vehicles, and which is conveniently actuated by the reduced pressure available in the vehicle engine manifold.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a coin dispenser embodying novel and improved features of construction including a cylinder and piston, the piston being raised by atmospheric pressure when the cylinder is partially evacuated by operation of a vehicle engine inlet, and movement of the piston serving to elevate the coins against gravity to their release positions.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a vacuum coin dispenser that is simple and practical in construction, neat and attractive in appearance, reliable in use, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the dispenser is intended.

The novel features that are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of a specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts through the several figures and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the new and improved coin dispenser as seen from the front;

Fig. 2 is a vertical central section of the dispenser showing the coins in storage position and not accessible for discharge;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, in the direction indicated, but with the coins shown in elevated position ready for release of the uppermost coins through the discharge openings of the dispenser;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view partially in section, taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section through the dispenser casing and the vacuum control valve, showing the valve in its closed'position, and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modified dispenser adapted to hold and expel or release coins of different sizes.

Our new and improved device for storing and dis pensing coins, as illustrated in the drawings, comprises a casing or container 1 adapted to be secured to the dashboard of a vehicle in any desired manner and preferably positioned within reach of the vehicle operator. The upper portion of the casing is provided with a plurality of cylindrical compartments .2 and 3 for storing coins 4. The compartments 2 and 3 are partially closed at their tops by coin retainer lips 22 at the top and rear of the casing. The lips 22 limit upward movement of the coins and define coin discharge openings at the front of the compartments 2 and 3 and through which the topmost coins may be moved and withdrawn from the casing over the upper edge 22A of the coin compartment front wall.

The lower part of the coin compartments 2 and 3 are closed by walls 5 intermediate the height of the casing 1. The walls 5 have openings 8, each of which slidably supports a piston rod 6. The lower ends of the rods 6 have disk-like pistons 7 affixed thereto, while the upper ends of the rods pass through the relatively loose bearing openings 8 into the coin compartments 2 and 3, where their upper ends are threaded into coin supporting heads 9.

The dispenser casing 1 is further provided with cylindrical vacuum chambers or cylinders 10 positioned below and in axial alignment with the coin receiving compartments 2 and 3 and the pistons 7 have a sliding fit in the cylinders 10. The bottoms of the vacuum cylinders 10 are preferably closed by separate plugs 11, to permit access to the piston 7, and have vents or breather holes 12 through the casing for the intaking and exhausting of air under the pistons 7.

The wall between the cylinders 10 has a common vacuum port 14 extending between the upper ends of the cylinders 10 and a passage 13 opening into said port 14 extends longitudinally in the wall between the cylin- (lers and opens through the bottom of the casing. A control valve 15 is disposed in the passage 13 between the cylinders and near the bottom of the passage. The bottom of the passage 13 is connected to a vacuum supply line 16 leading to the engine inlet manifold of the vehicle with which the coin dispenser is associated.

The valve 15 comprises a plunger 17, having an enlarged head or valve body 18 at the inner end and a semispherical head or push button 21 affixed to its outer end. The plunger 17 slides in a fitting 47 in the casing while the valve body 18 slides in a cylindrical passage 19 which is preferably at right angles to and crosses the vacuum passage 13. A coil spring 20 or other biasing means normally urges the valve body 18 to the position closing passage 13, as shown in Fig. 5. The push button 21 may be pressed inwardly to overcome the pressure of spring 20, move the valve body 18 to the rear of passage 19 and uncover passage 13 to permit communication around the stem 17, between its upper and lower portions.

A modified embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 6 wherein the dispensing device is constructed, and its parts arranged, substantially like the device described above except that the casing 1A has two coin storing compartments 9 and 9A of different diameters and which are capable of holding and releasing coins of different denomination. It is apparent that the dispenser may be fabricated with additional coin storing compartments and that these may vary in diameter so that a complete range of coin sizes may be accommodated.

In the operation of the new and improved coin dispenser, a supply of coins 4 of appropriate size is placed Patented Dec. 9, 1958 in the dispenser by feeding single coins to each coin storing compartment through the respective discharge opening between the top edge 22A and the lip 22. The weight of the coins force the support disk 9 and piston 7 to their lowered positions while ejecting air from the cylinder 10 through the vent 12. The coins normally rest in a stack in the lower portions of compartments 2 and 3, as shown in Fig. 2, and While thus disposed, being out of reach, cannot be removed from the dispenser by the operator of the vehicle or anyone else unless the vehicle engine is running.

When it is desired to remove one or more coins the operator of the vehicle with which the improved dispenser is associated, presses button 21 inwardly, to the position illustrated in Fig. 3, opening valve 15. If the vehicle engine is running, the partial vacuum in the supply line 16 is made etfective at cylinders 10 by the opening of the valve 15 since an unobstructed passage exists from the engine inlet manifold, through line 16, around valve stem 17 and through passages 13 and 14. The resultant partial evacuation of the cylinders 10 permits atmospheric pressure, exerted through the vents 12, to raise the pistons 7 and elevate the coins to the position shown in Fig. 3. The uppermost coins in both compartments 2 and 3 are stopped by the lips 22, where the operator can remove either or both coins by withdrawing or sliding the respective coin forwardly over the dispenser edge 22A. Coins may be removed successively and one by one in the described manner until the button 21 is released, closing valve 15. This closes the vacuum connection from the vehicle engine to cylinders 10 and atmospheric pressure is restored to the upper portions of the cylinders through the piston rod bearing openings 8 and chambers 2 and 3. The weight of the coin stacks will drop to their storing positions.

Although certain specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is obvious that many modifications thereof are possible. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1 In combination with a vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine having an intake manifold, a coin dispenser mounted in said vehicle and including a casing having a coin storage compartment provided with a coin discharge opening, a cylindrical chamber with a vent to atmosphere in said casing below said coin storage compartment, a piston slidably received in said cylindrical chamber, means for moving coins in said compartment connected to said piston, and evacuating means connecting said cylindrical chamber to said intake manifold, whereby lessening of the pressure within said chamber will permit atmospheric air pressure through said vent to move said piston and cause a coin in said storage compartment to align with said coin discharge opening.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said evacuating means includes a valve normally biased to close a passage connecting said cylinder to the vehicle intake manifold, and manually operable means to move said valve and open said passage, whereby coins stored in said storage compartment are accessible to the coin discharge opening only when the vehicle engine is running and said manually operable means is actuated to permit intake vacuum past said valve.

3. A vacuum coin dispenser for vehicles comprising, a casing having a plurality of tubular coin storage compartments each provided with a coin discharge opening, said compartments being of difierent diameters to accommodate coins of different denomination, a plurality of cylindrical chambers aligned with and disposed below said coin storage compartments, vents through said casing to atmosphere communicating with each of said chambers at their lower ends, a piston slidably received in each of said chambers, a coin support resting at the bottom of each of said coin storage compartments and connected by a rod to the piston in the chamber below, ports communicating with the upper ends of each of said chambers and with a common vacuum supply passage in said casing, a valve normally biased to close said passage and being manually operable to open said passage, and means for connecting said vacuum supply passage to the inlet manifold of a vehicle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 346,564 Seegmueller Aug. 3, 1886 635,943 Scott Oct. 31, 1899 1,895,456 Farmer Jan. 31, 1933 1,932,530 Noland Oct. 31, 1933 2,479,396 Nelson Aug. 16, 1949 

